Valve for steaming devices for pressing machines



Sept. 5, 1933. E. DAVIS El AL 1,925,794

VALVE FOR STEAMING DEVICES FOR PRESSING MACHINES Filed July 14, 19:0

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INVENTORS I A TTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE FOR STEAMING DEVICES FOR PRESSING MACHINES Application July 14, 1930. Serial No. 467,751

7 Claims.

This invention relates to steaming devices for pressing machines and particularly to valve means for controlling the flow of steam through a pressing element.

It has become universal practice in the pressing of garments to blow steam over such garments before pressing them. It is highly undesirable, however, when so steaming a garment, to have drops of water which are the result of condensation in the steam line, blow onto the garment.

The principal object of this invention is to devise a steaming device for pressing machines by which steam may be blown over a garment prior to pressing and to devise means which will prevent such steam from containing condensate.

A further object of the invention is to provide a steaming valve so constructed that any steam condensing in the valve, or steam conduit leading to the valve will drain away from the steaming valve and avoid the danger of blowing condensate against a garment during the steaming operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a pressing element showing our improved steaming valve applied thereto; the steaming valve beingshown partly in section.

Figure 2 is a section along the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section along the line 33 of Figure 2.

In its preferred embodiment our invention includes a valve casing 10 mounted on a pressing element or head 11 which is formed with a heating chamber 12 to which steam is supplied from any suitable source, not shown. The pressing head 11 is also providedwith a steaming chamber 13 from which steam blows through orifices 15 in the pressing face 16 for the purpose of.

steaming a garment.

A conduit 17 from the heating chamber 12 and a conduit 18 from the steaming chamber 13 are provided through the top of the pressing head 11.

The valve casing 10 contains an inlet chamber 20 and outlet chamber 21 which are separated by a partition 22. The partition 22 is formed with a conduit 23 therein for establishing communication between the chambers 20 and 21. A valve seat 25 is provided at one end of the conduit 23, this valve seat being raised from the bottom of the chamber 20 so as to prevent condensate from flowing into the conduit 23.

An inlet conduit 28 is provided in the valve casing 10. This conduit 28 communicates at one end with the conduit 17. At its upper end the conduit 28 enters the chamber 20 through the bottom of the side wall thereof and all condensate in the chamber 20 will drain into the conduit 28. As the conduit 28 approaches the chamber 20 the cross-sectional area of the conduit 28 becomes greater thus reducing the velocity of the steam and permitting a more ready flow of condensate back to the conduit 28. I

A valve 30 is mounted in the valve casing 10. This valve 30 is provided with a valve stem 31, slidably mounted in the conduit 23, and provided with slots 33 which permit steam to flow from the chamber 20 into the chamber 21 when the valve 30 is not in contact with the seat 25.

- The valve 30 is normally held against the seat 25 by a spring 35 thus preventing the flow of steam from the chamber 20 into the chamber 21.

The valve 30 is opened, against the tension of the spring 85, by a lever 38 which contacts with the valve stem 31 at the lower end thereof. The lever 38 is secured to a shaft 40 which is mounted in the valve casing 10. One end of the shaft 40 extends through the side of the valve casing 10 and has a handle 41 mounted thereon by means of which the shaft 40 may be rotated to operate the valve 30. A suitable packing gland 45 may be provided on the side of the valve casing 10 to prevent the escape of steam around the shaft 40.

In operation, the heating chamber 12 will be full of steam at all times. The chamber 20 of the valve casing 10 is at all times in direct communication, through the conduits 28 and 17, with the heating chamber 12. Any condensation which forms in the chamber 20 will drain by gravity back through the conduits 28 and 1'7 into the heating chamber 12. The valve 30 is normally in closed position and prevents steam from escaping from the chamber 20 of the valve casing. When the operator wishes to steam a garment, he

depressses the handle 41 to rock the shaft 40 and move the lever 38 through suflicient angle to open the valve 30. When the valve is open steam will flow from the chamber 20-through the slots 33 in the valve stem 31 into the chamber 21 from which it will be blown through the orifices 15 in the pressing face 16 of the pressing head. When the operator releases the handle 41 the spring 35 will restore the parts to their normal position.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have provided a particularly simple and eflicient steaming device for pressing machines which prevents condensate from being blown over a garment during the steaming process.

Various changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment illustrated'without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A valve for a steaming device including a valve casing having a chamber therein and a steam inlet conduit communicating with the chamber at a low point through which all condensate in the chamber will drain; an exhaust conduit for the chamber; a valve seat around the v exhaust conduit and located above the bottom of the chamber; and a valve in the chamber disposed to operate on said valve seat.

2. A valve for a steaming device including a valve casing having a chamber therein and a steam inlet conduit entering said chamber at the bottom of saidchamber and at a point to which all condensate in said chamber will drain; said chamber also having a second conduit in the bottom thereof for the exhaust of steam from the chamber; a valve seat raised from the bottom wall of the chamber to prevent condensate from flowing into the second conduit; and a valve for engaging said valve seat;

3. A valve for a steaming device including a casing having a chamber therein, an exhaust conduit in the bottom of the chamber and an inlet conduit at the bottom and adjacent the side wall of the chamber and at a point to which all condensate will drain, a valve seat around the exhaust conduit and raised from the bottom of the chamber to prevent the flow of condensate into the exhaust conduit; a valve having a part slidable in the exhaust conduit; means for normally holding the valve against the valve seat to close the exhaust conduit; and means for operating the valve to open the exhaust conduit.

4. A valve for a steaming device including a casing having a chamber therein, an outlet conduit in the bottom of the chamber and an inlet rozavca conduit at the bottom and adjacent the side wall of the chamber and at a point to which all condensate will drain; a valve seat around the outlet conduit and raised from the bottom of the chamber to prevent the flow of condensate into the outlet conduit; a valve having a stem slidably mounted in theoutlet conduit and means for operating the valve to move the same into and out of contact with the valve seat.

5. A valve for a steaming device including a casing having a chamber therein; an outlet conduit in the bottom of the chamber and an inlet conduit at the bottom and adjacent the side wall of the chamber and at a point to which all condensate will drain; the inlet conduit being of increasing crosssectional area as it approaches the chamber; a valve seat around the outlet conduit; a valve; and means for operating the valve into and out of contact with the valve seat to close and open said outlet conduit.

6. A valve for a steaming device including a casing having a chamber therein, an outlet conduit in the bottom of the chamber and an inlet conduit at the bottom and adjacent the side wall of the chamber and at a point to which all condensate will drain, the inlet conduit being of increasing cross-sectional area as it approaches the chamber; a valve seat around the outlet conduit and raised from the bottom of the chamber to prevent the flow of condensate into the outlet conduit; a valve having a part slidable in the outlet conduit; means for normally holding the valve against the valve seat to close the outlet conduit; and means for operating the valve to open the outlet conduit.

'1. A valve for a steaming device for pressing machine heads of the type having a heating chamber and a steaming chamber for steaming a garment, including a valve casing having a valve chamber and an inlet conduit for communicating with theheating chamber of the press head and entering the valve chamber at a low point through which conduit all condensate will drain; saidvalve chamber also being provided with an outlet conduit for communicating with the steaming chamber of the press head; a valve seat around said outlet conduit and located above the bottom of said valve chamber; a valve in said valve chamber; and means for operating the valve into and out of contact with said valve seat to close and open the outlet conduit.

ERNEST DAVIS. ALBERT KAGT 

